Dr. Tracey Marks Covers Benzodiazepine-Induced Neurological Dysfunction

Dr. Tracey Marks, an American psychiatrist with 1.75 million subscribers on YouTube, recently covered Benzodiazepine-Induced Neurological Dysfunction (BIND) in her video, The Benzo Trap: When Your Anxiety Meds Become the Problem. We’re grateful for her attention to this important topic, as it has generated significant discussion among patients in the comments section, many of whom have shared distressing experiences.

While we agree with much of Dr. Marks’ video, there are a few areas where our perspectives diverge. For instance, we define long-term use of benzodiazepines as anything beyond 2-4 weeks, rather than the 3-6 months mentioned. This distinction is crucial, as the duration of use can influence the occurrence of physical dependence, and, subsequently, withdrawal syndromes and BIND.

Additionally, our experience shows that medications like Lyrica and Gabapentin are often ineffective and can even exacerbate symptoms for many individuals, while also creating their own physical dependence and withdrawal syndromes. The latest draft of the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering aligns with our viewpoint by discouraging these treatments along with carbamazepine.

Furthermore, while Dr. Marks suggests that prescriber guidance with benzodiazepine tapering is mostly sufficient and encourages patients to speak with their providers about BIND, we’ve found that this rarely leads to safe or effective guidance. Most medical providers, including psychiatrists, are not familiar with BIND and do not know how to safely taper a benzodiazepine. This gap in awareness among medical professionals cannot be overstated. It underscores the importance of comprehensive guidelines like The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines and resources such as our Benzodiazepine Cooperative Providers List. Medical providers with specialized knowledge about benzodiazepines are incredibly rare.

Benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND) describes a range of symptoms and adverse life consequences that can persist during and after prescribed benzodiazepine use. Not everyone will develop BIND, and the factors contributing to its development are still unclear. For more in-depth information, see Long-term Consequences of Benzodiazepine-Induced Neurological Dysfunction: A Survey, research co-authored by our previous medical director, Dr. Christy Huff. This research is where the concept of BIND was first introduced.

Click the button below to watch Dr. Marks’ video on YouTube and join the conversation on this important issue. Again, we thank Dr. Marks for covering this topic on her channel.